Tuesday, July 4, 2017

South Florida is the mango capital of the United
States. Every summer we celebrate with
everything mango. We may start the day
with mangoes over oatmeal, yogurt or cereal, or just a few eaten fresh over the
kitchen sink. Lunch may be a mango in a
green salad with tuna, mango salsa with chips or mangoes and cottage
cheese. For an afternoon snack a mango
milkshake or smoothie hits the spot.
Dinner may be a roast chicken with a mango glaze or a curried shrimp and
mango dish.

For the past eighteen years the epicenter of mango culinary cuisine occurs at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami. Top chefs of the area prepare a feast of a mango brunch that is so popular it sells out weeks before the event. Chef Allen Susser is the premier chef of the event. He revolutionized South Florida cuisine introducing mangoes at Chef Allen’s in Aventura, and creating new and delicious food combinations that were not seen before. Currently he is busy with many venues through his Chef Allen's Sustainable Consulting firm. The other top chefs of are an amazing bunch.

Chris Bulgarin
created Delicious Catering Services Event and Design after spending many years
working at top local restaurants in Dade County. You may have seen him on television news
cooking demos or at Pinecrest Gardens, or teaching at Miami Dade Community
College. Chefs Andrea Curto Randazzo and Frank Randazzo operate the garden café
as well as dCreative Tastes Catering & Event
Production, You may
remember Frank from Talula Restauant. Chef Danial Giraldo of Doral’s Los Verdes
rounds out this amazing group of exceptionally talented chefs. He as successfully demonstrated that healthy
food can be created at fast food establishments. Tim Andriola of Timo and Basil Park is surly
going to prepare amazing creations. Tim
Andriola of Lan Pan Asian Café and Yuga contributes with an East Asian
flair. Kareem Anguin of the Oceanaire
restaurants is the creative genious behind many new culinary treats. This superstar team of top chefs will be preparing
a meal that many consider the best mango brunch of its kind anywhere in the
world.

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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Mery Stewart lives in Five Star Premier Residences of
Pompano Beach. She is a gifted painter,
sculptor and gardener. Mery asked me to
come to her balcony one evening after horticulture class. Her balcony is always abloom with an amazing
selection of plants. Originally Mery had
many gorgeous orchids. Her balcony faces
west on a tall ten story building opposite the beach on the intra coastal
waterway in Pompano Beach. The brutal hot
sun would normally bake orchids, but Mery provided filtered shade with some
larger leafed tropical plants.

On this visit, Mery’s balcony looked like a mini
nursery. There were dozens of small
containers with an assortment of coleus seedlings, Stepilia cactus, kalanchoe
and more. The containers were recycled
plastic pudding and jello cups, yogurt cups and more. What a delight to see so much going on, and
Mery explained, “This is my therapy.
This is what keeps me going.” Some
people love to garden and others garden to live. Horticulture Therapy works wonders for the
mind body and spirit. Growing and
nurturing a plant gives people a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the
morning.

Mery said, “If you can use these in your class, you are
welcome to them. “ We utilized them for
the following class at Five Star. I also
had enough to use at other Five Star facilities in the tri county area. Most seniors have balconies and most like to
have plants. Since gardening is
America’s number one pastime, it stands to reason every senior living residence
should have a garden club, and most do.

“My father was a landscape architect and my mother worked in
a flower shop.” My sister also loves to
garden. She does this all by herself. “Mery
shared beautiful photos her sister sent from Germany. The
gardening group meets monthly on Thursday evenings. The crowd is always lively, loud and laughing
and everyone has a grand time.

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